Inuchiyo smiled at his companions, who had not failed to notice that he was familiar enough with Hideyoshi to call him 'Lord Monkey' to his face.
'Somehow I can't agree with either Lord Inuchiyo's opinion or yours, my lord,' said Kanamori, who was the oldest of the group.
'How is that?' asked Hideyoshi, who was clearly enjoying the conversation. 'As far as my ancient self goes, I would say that a man is unwavering from the age of fifteen.
'That's a little early, isn't it?'
'Well, look at young men on their first campaign.'
'You have a point. Unwavering at the age of fifteen, even more so at nineteen or twenty, but at forty you slowly start to come undone. Well then, what happens at about the time of one's respected old age?' 'When you get to fifty or sixty, you're really confused.'
'And at seventy or eighty?'
'Then you start forgetting that you're confused.' They all laughed.
It seemed as though the feasting would last until evening, but Katsutoyo's condition was deteriorating. The conversation changed, and Hideyoshi suggested that they move to another room. A physician was summoned. He immediately gave Katsutoyo some medicine, and everything was done to warm the room in which the talks would be held.
Once the four men were settled, Inuchiyo opened the proceedings. 'I believe you have received a letter from Lord Nobutaka, who also counsels peace with Lord Katsuie,' Inuchiyo began.
Hideyoshi nodded, apparently eager to listen. Inuchiyo reminded him of their common duty as retainers of Nobunaga, then frankly admitted that it was Hideyoshi who had truly discharged that duty completely. But after that, it appeared that he was out of harmony with the senior retainers, neglecting Lord Samboshi and working for his own advantage. Even if this were untrue, Inuchiyo felt that it was regrettable that Hideyoshi's actions were open to such an interpretation.
He suggested to Hideyoshi that he should look at the situation from the standpoints of Nobutaka and Katsuie. One of them had met with disappointment, while the other now felt ill at ease. Katsuie, who had been called 'Jar-Bursting' and 'the Demon,' had been slow in moving and was a step behind Hideyoshi. Even at the conference in Kiyosu, had not Katsuie deferred to him?
“So won't you end this quarrel?' Inuchiyo asked finally. 'It's not really a problem for someone like me, but Lord Nobunaga's family is still embroiled in it. It's unbecoming that his surviving retainers should share the same bed and have different dreams.'
The look in Hideyoshi's eyes seemed to change with Inuchiyo's words. Inuchiyo had laid the blame for the quarrel at Hideyoshi's door, and he steeled himself for a violent refutation. Unexpectedly, Hideyoshi nodded vigorously. 'You're absolutely right,' he said with a sigh. “I'm really not to blame, and if I were to list my excuses, there would be a mountain of them. But when I look at the situation the way you've explained it, it would appear that
I've gone too far. And in that sense, I've been wrong. Inuchiyo, I leave it in your hands.'
The negotiations were concluded on the spot. Hideyoshi had spoken so frankly that the envoys felt somewhat bemused, but Inuchiyo knew Hideyoshi well.
'I'm very grateful to you. Just hearing that has made it worth coming all the way here from the north,' he said with great satisfaction.
Fuwa and Kanamori, however, did not show their joy unguardedly. Understanding the reason for their reticence, Inuchiyo went a step further.
'But Lord Hideyoshi, if you have some dissatisfaction you'd like to express about Lord Katsuie, I hope you'll express it frankly. I'm afraid these peace accords won't last long if you're concealing something. I will spare no effort to settle any problem, no matter what it might be.'
'That's unnecessary,' Hideyoshi said, laughing. 'Am I the kind of person who keeps something bottled up inside and remains silent? I've said everything I want to say, to both Lord Nobutaka and Lord Katsuie. I've already sent a long letter that explains everything in detail.'
'Yes, the letter was shown to us before we left Kitanosho. Lord Katsuie felt that everything you had written was reasonable and would not have to be brought up again during these peace talks.'
'I understand that Lord Nobutaka suggested holding peace talks after reading my letter. Inuchiyo, I was being particularly careful not to upset Lord Katsuie before you came here.'
'Well, you know, an elder statesman should be accorded respect in any situation. But I know I've rattled the horns of Demon Shibata from time to time.'
'It's difficult to do anything without rattling those horns. Even when we were both young, those horns were strangely scary—especially for me. In fact, the Demon's horns were even scarier than Nobunaga's moods.'
'Did you hear that?' Inuchiyo laughed. 'Did you hear that, gentlemen?' Both men were drawn into the laughter. To say such things in front of them was hardly speaking ill of their lord behind his back. Rather, they felt it was a shared sentiment they could not deny.
The human mind is a subtle thing. After that moment, Kanamori and Fuwa felt more at ease with Hideyoshi and relaxed their watchfulness of Inuchiyo.
'I think this is indeed a happy event,' Kanamori said.
'We really couldn't be happier,' Fuwa added. 'More than that, I have to thank you for your generosity; we have completed our mission and saved our honor.'
The next day, however, Kanamori still had misgivings and said to Fuwa, 'If we go back to Echizen and report to our lord without Lord Hideyoshi's having put anything in writing, won't this agreement seem a bit unreliable?'
Before departing that day, the envoys once again went to the castle to meet with Hideyoshi, to pay their respects.
Several attendants and horses were waiting outside the main entrance, and the envoys thought that Hideyoshi must have been receiving guests. But in fact it was Hideyoshi himself who was going out. At that moment he stepped from the main citadel.
'I'm glad you came,' he said. 'Well, let's go inside.' Turning around, Hideyoshi led
His guests to a room. 'I had a really good laugh last night. Thanks to you, I slept late this morning.'
And sure enough, he looked as though he had just gotten up and washed his face. That morning, however, each of the envoys looked somehow different—as though he had woken up inside a different shell.
“You've been much too hospitable in the midst of all your work, but we are returning home today,' Kanamori said.
Hideyoshi nodded. 'Is that so? Well, please give my regards to Lord Katsuie on your return.”
“I'm sure Lord Katsuie will be delighted by the outcome of the peace talks.'
“My heart has been lifted just by your coming here as envoys. Now all those people would like to make us fight will be disappointed.'
“But won't you please take your brush and sign a solemn pledge, just to stop up the mouths of such people?' Kanamori entreated.
That was it. That was what had suddenly become essential for the envoys that morning. The peace talks had gone too smoothly, and they had become uneasy with words alone. Even if they reported to Katsuie what had transpired, without some sort of document it was nothing more than a verbal promise.
“All right.' The look on Hideyoshi's face showed full agreement. 'I'll give one to you, and I’ll expect one from Lord Katsuie. But this pledge isn't limited to Lord Katsuie and me. If the names of the other veteran generals are not attached as well, the document will be meaningless. I'll speak to Niwa and Ikeda immediately. That should be all right, shouldn't it?'
Hideyoshi's eyes met Inuchiyo's.
“That should be fine,' Inuchiyo answered clearly. His eyes read everything in Hideyoshi's heart—he had seen the future even before leaving Kitanosho. If Inuchiyo could be called a rogue, he was a likable one.
Hideyoshi stood up. 'I was just about to leave myself. I'll go with you as far as the town.'
“They left the citadel together.
“I haven't seen Lord Katsutoyo today. Has he already left?' Hideyoshi asked.
“He is still unwell,' Fuwa said. 'We left him at his lodgings.'
